Ondo State Governor, Olusegun Mimiko, has urged supporters and party faithful to discountenance rumours of his impending defection from the Labour Party to the ruling Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.
Mimiko, who made this known while fielding questions from journalists shortly after the National Executive Council, NEC, meeting of Labour Party, LP, in Abuja, said he was still a bonafide member of the party which gave him mandate to govern Ondo state.
The governor reiterated that he still in the Labour Party and that he will make public if at all there is need for him to leave the party.
“I don’t react to rumours. If I am going to leave the Labour Party I will declare it openly,” he said, adding that the report was a mete rumour.
He said, “all the reports you hear or read are mere rumours and I cannot react to rumours. As you can see, I am here today to attend the Labour party NEC meeting. I will also be in Akure on October 4 when we will host the 3rd National convention of our party.”
Mimiko however declared that he will support President Goodluck Jonathan’s re-election bid for 2015 presidency if the president declares his intention to run.
In his remarks, the outgoing National chairman of the Labour Party, Dan Nwanyanwu revealed that his decision to step down as the party’s chairman after leading the party for a period of 10 years was personal and to allow other to lead the party.
Nwanyanwu said that he will not present himself for re election at the party’s next convention which is slated for Akure on October 4, stressing thatt having played his own part, it would not make any sense for him to remain as the chairman.
Reading the communiqué at the end of the NEC meeting, Nwanyanwu expressed the party’s appreciation to the renewed commitments from trade unions, NLC to work with the leadership of the party to promote and consolidation of its ideas.
The party also observed the commendable leadership of the chairman and other members of the NEC who has managed the affairs of the party for the past 10 years.
The party while commending the efforts of president Good luck Jonathan and the military in tackling the problems of insecurity in the country also called for an improved efforts to ensure that other towns captured by the insurgents are reclaimed without delay in other to maintain the unity and indivisibility of the country.
It also shared the views of the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, that government should add values to the fight against terror by ensuring that Nigerian troops are provided with modern weapons to confront the insurgents.
On the Ebola Virus Disease, the Labour Party commended the efforts and measures so far taken by the Federal and all state governments to curtail the spread of the deadly disease in Nigeria.